Max Jams in his Jams

Check out Max and (his seriously awesome) dance moves. 

Another favorite...

In this post  I mentioned Max's favorite Christmas gift (Super Hero cape and mask). Well, I should probably mention that it is a two-way tie between the Super Hero getup and a new dirt bike. Yes, you just read that correctly. Max has a dirt bike. Thanks daddy! :) 

Zoom, zoom....

Ode to Brit

Max and Brit at a recent trip to Fall Fest at the zoo!

Sam, Max and I added another to our family a little more than a year ago. :)

Brit, Sam's cousin, moved in with us summer of 2010 and what was supposed to be a summer housing arranging before heading back to OSU for her final year, turned into something much more. She is now a college grad and has a full-time job, with a very long and important title. Oh ya, and still lives with us much to our delight.


Sam and I have enjoyed Brit's company and friendship, and Max has enjoyed the joys of having a "big sister." 


One of my favorite things about Brit is her love and adoration towards our little man. She shares such a unique relationship with him and I can't imagine Max not having her a part of his little life. (In all honesty, does he really remember what life was like pre-Brit? Probably not! He had just turned 2 when she moved in.) 


I love their banter. For instance, this is an actual quote I had to say while out driving the gang:
"Max stop kicking Brit's seat, Brit please turn around and stop swatting his foot away!" 


Now if that isn't true sibling rivalry, I don't know what is! 


However, what I (and Maximus!) love most about Brit is her creativity and passion for trying, finding and having new adventures with Max. She is not content to just sit at home and do the norm with him (can I get an Amen! from those that also know and love Brit.) 


Her latest and greatest adventure: Giving Max an entire can of shaving cream in the bathtub. He was COVERED head to toe and I am sure having the time of his life. The next morning, he told me all about it with strict instructions that, "we need to go to the store and get more of that stuff so I can do it every night!" 

Oh what fun! 

Guess what Brit? I LOVE you!

Dear Brit,

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you! Thank you for investing your love and time into our sweet and precious little boy. We can't think of a better role model, friend or sister for Maximus. We trust you implicitly and are grateful for all the little moments that you make special. These are going to be life-long impressions and memories for Max! Thank you!!

xoxoxo

Sam and Jen

Blue Bike

Max just seems to be growing up before our very eyes. His new passion: the blue bike. 

He has recently mastered riding his bike. It took some practice sessions and determination, but he's got it down! We have spent the last couple of days doing family bike rides. As I watch Max riding down the sidewalk, I can't help but think, "really, he is big enough that we can take a bike ride together?" Some days I feel like I blinked and then he was three, and mister independent. ;)

Max and the Motorcycle

Max can't seem to get enough of Sam's 4-wheeler. He asks constantly, "Can we can go out to Uncle Tom and Aunt Beth's farm today so I can ride my motorcycle?"

Well, daddy delivered today.

As I weeded, and worked, and labored, and tended our organic garden, the boys were living it up. Laughing, smiling, and grinning from ear to ear. They would blaze by me, then slow down to a crawl so Max could yell out, "do you see me mama, do you see me?" Sure do buddy.

So what does a piece of heaven look like to Max? Apparently, it's a hunk a metal that you can ride at high flying speeds, and includes dirt in the face, grit in the teeth, and a sweaty head of hair under that helmet. Go get em' boys!

My Lawn Guys

So lets just start out by saying that Max has been begging Sam to mow the grass together. Last year, Sam spent most of the summer mowing the grass with Max in the Kelty backpack. Sweat much?

Well this year, Sam decided to ease his summer load and hire the 12-year-old neighbor boy to cut our grass when needed. And I am pretty sure Sam has not regretted his $15-a-cut investment once. Nope, not once.

However, little Max has not forgotten about the Kelty and that feeling a man (or boy in this case) must get when behind a powerful engine, cutting the grass, hair blowing in the wind/gas fumes, sweat dripping into your eyes. You get it. He was desperate for a ride with his daddy pushing that mower.

So Sam's new summer best friend, Wesley the 12-year-old lawn boy, went on summer vacation with his family. Which means, Sam had to do the dirty, sweaty grass cutting himself.

Mission Accomplished.

Little boys summer dream fulfilled.

Check.

Swim Lessons

Max is such a big boy now. He doesn't even need me in the water for swim lessons anymore. (sniff, sniff).

I have had a few bittersweet moments like this lately. Since he was 4 months old, I have been doing parent & me classes. From The Little Gym to swim lessons, I was always required to be by his side.

But, now my little man is graduating to the big time. He doesn't need ol' mom anymore to accompany him in his gym class or in the water.

Check out my baby boy. Not such a baby anymore, huh?

(Max is the second one in on the side of the pool...)

The Prize Box

So we have an entire week underway of Max in big boy underwear. And can I just report that he is doing awesome! We have continued to be on-the-go and he has completely been flexible and ready for the adventure!

I could count on one hand the amount of potty accidents he has had when it comes to pee pee. (Did I just say pee pee on this blog? I did, moving along.) He has even woken up in the middle of the night, calling our names, and after peeling off the layers, and diaper, he successfully goes pee pee in the potty.

He is coming into our room in the mornings with absolutely NOTHING on from the waist down. Quite a sight when you are still trying to wake up! Our new alarm clock is the potty flushing and Max running into our room to tell us about his pee pee on the potty.

With all the success I am sharing (because I certainly don't want to paint a picture that potty training is easy), I must be transparent and share that the biggest challenge has been Max trying to figure out how to time the poo poo for the potty. He has had many, many accidents. I am having to give myself motivational speeches (call the hubby and friends to give me motivational speeches) so I can give the Mister motivational speeches on how cool and exciting and fabulous poo poo in the potty can be.

I have resorted to incentivizing (some might call it bribing) Max with the Poo Poo Prize Box. This fancy box is chalked full of gum, pez dispensers, matchbox cars, silly bands, sweet tarts, life savers, and yes, even a ring pop. What toddler would not LOVE to pick something from the prize box as a reward for going poo poo in the potty?!

This prize box has been taunting Max the past two days. Poor buddy. Every time he would have an accident, he would look at me with his big, sad, blue eyes and say, "mommy, do I get something out of the prize box?" And I had to painfully tell him "no, you need to go poo in the potty and then we will celebrate and pick a prize out of the box!"

Well, today, was finally the day. He was quite pleased with himself and went straight for the prize he has been staring at from a distance the past two days. The Ring Pop. And he enjoyed every last lick.

10 Things List

Since I have been on hiatus from the blogging world, I thought it would be best to re-enter by giving you a 10 Things I Should Have Blogged About the Past Month List.

10. The annual making of the pumpkin pie. This is Sam's 3rd year involving the Mister. First year, Max was in the Bjorn. Second year, in the backpack Kelty, and this year, such a big boy on the counter. Max is very into cooking these days, so he was in heaven helping his daddy.

9. Max's new love: Fire Trucks. He plays with fire trucks. Has a fire truck song that he sings. And has even visited the nearby fire station. (**instant update: Max just looked over my shoulder and saw the picture of fire truck below. He started shouting "Fire Truck, Fire Truck! Let's go see a Fire Truck.") I think you get the idea. The boy is into Fire Trucks. :)

8. Road trip to Chi-Town. Chicago is one of our favorite places to visit, so we thought it was about time we introduced Max to city life. He LOVED it! He took his first train ride (from the suburbs to the city) and his first taxi ride all in one day! I am pretty sure I was an adult before I did either one of those, so I am kind of proud of the fact that we had Max in a train and cab at the age of 2.

7. Buckeye Fever. We all get it this time of year. This season, we erected a 9' tall x 16' wide screen in our backyard. We invited our friends and family and had an outdoor viewing party. It was a night to remember. Hot cider, lots of appetizers, everyone in Buckeye gear, lawn chairs, an HD projector and a big screen. Does it get any better? Oh right, would have been nice if they would have beat Wisconsin.

6. Girls trip to Minneapolis, Minnesota. My girlfriend Becky and I flew to visit one of our friends Joy for a long weekend. We had a great time eating sushi, drinking Jamba Juice and spending an afternoon at the spa. As much fun as it was, I would much rather her just move back to Ohio. Long-distance relationships stink. :)

5. Trick or Treat! Max was Mickey Mouse this year and proud of it! He had lots of opportunities to show off his costume since we happened to trick or treat in two different neighborhoods. In our neighborhood, he ran around with his little friend, Brooke (a.k.a. Minnie Mouse).

4. We have been coping with the loss of my sweet grandmother "Nana" who passed away. I have never met a woman more vibrant with life, active, bubbly and joyful. She was so happy to be alive and showed us all how to live in the moment and enjoy each day given to us. She was a wonderful woman, and I call it a privilege to celebrate her life.

3. Sam and I met Cabo San Lucas for the first time in early November. And we liked it. :) We had a 4-day getaway in paradise. It was hands-down the most romantic place we have every stayed. It was private and remote. Service was outstanding (do I need to mention we had our own private butler?). And the views were incredible. There is something about being in a place where you have the ocean and the mountains in one setting. Stunning. Absolutely stunning.

2. And while we were away? Max was in good hands with Sam's cousin Brit. She adores Maximus and couldn't wait to spend time with him for 4 days. She had special activities planned from bowling to the fire station to ice cream. Thank you Brit for taking such great care of our little boy. Take a look at Max's smiles below, he obviously had a great time in our absence.

1. And last, but not least. Max went ice skating for the first time. Sam might have done some research and found out that we can put Max in hockey/ice skating lessons at the age of 3. So, since that is only 6 months away, we wanted to get the ball rolling and help Max get comfortable on the ice. He did great! He might just be a hockey player in the making.

Apple Picking Adventure

With autumn leaves falling and cooler weather approaching, Max and I decided to join Kristen and her gang at the apple orchard and picked 1/2 bushel of delicious, organic, apples.

It is hard to believe it has been a couple of years since we visited an apple orchard. Max was only about 5 months old the last time we picked apples. Look at how little he is!

And now our little boy is not-so-little anymore. This adventure was right up his ally. He absolutely loved picking apples. And eating them. In fact, he spent more time eating than picking. I caught him over and over again picking an apple, taking 2 bites, and then tossing it into his bag. After I realized he had done this with more than a dozen apples we had to have a little chat about "respecting the apple orchard" and "not wasting the precious, organic apples."

All in all, it was a fantastic day and a fantastic memory. I am looking forward to this becoming an annual tradition. And wouldn't be surprised if we find ourselves back at the apple farm later this year picking a different variety of delicious apples!

Post for Uncle E

We decided to sign Max up for an indoor soccer clinic on Saturday mornings. I am not sure who is more excited each week to rush the soccer field - Max or daddy?

Max has proven, in a very short amount of time, that he has some soccer skills.

I thought that Uncle E (Emily's bro, who is also quite talented on the soccer field) would enjoy this little video.

Whoa Max!

Max loves everything about going to grandma and grandpa's house. They have a dog named Abby and a sandbox in their backyard and he's allowed to take naps in their big king size bed. Do I need to go on?

They have a dog. We don't. They have a sandbox. We won't. He sleeps in their bed. Right, not going to happen.

In other words, he is in heaven at grandma and grandpa's house and is encouraged to play rough, get dirty and break the rules. That's what grandparents are for, right?

One of Max's recent discoveries, in the corner of the basement at Grandma's house, is a big red rocking horse. This used to be my mom's horse when she was a kid, was then passed down to me and my brothers when we were little, and now Max and his cousins get to take a joy ride on this wooden horse.

To say he loves this red horse is an understatement. I just hope the duck tape at the bottom holds up. Max does not take it easy one bit when riding this horse!

Boy, all Boy

Max is turning into quite a rough and tumble little boy. He loves all things sports, he loves wrestling with daddy, he loves being chased, and his new favorite love: couch jumping.

**Sorry for all the extra video footage at the end. You at least get to see that sweet little face of his up close, and YES he is still a thumb-sucker. :)

Party in the Closet?

For the past two years, our master bedroom closet has been a familiar sleep nook for infants and toddlers alike. It's dark, and cozy, and oh so perfect for sleeping.

Until now.

My nephew Eli joined us for naptime the other day and decided to have a little naptime party. Instead of sleeping in the pack n' play, like I instructed, he opted to pull 65 shirts off of hangers, 2 suits, bins of tank tops and bathing suits and 10 pair of shoes. He literally barricaded himself in the closet behind mounds of clothes.

Looks like the days of napping in our walk-in closet are over! Love you Eli, thanks for the laugh [and 30 minutes of work to put the closet back together!].

**Add-in: My BIL, John, arrived at just the right time. Not only did he help me discover Eli in all his glory, but he then spent the next 30 minutes helping me put clothes back on hangers. Thanks John!

Fire Hydrant Fun

I love spontaneous fun! And that's exactly what we had this morning. Almost home from our morning walk with my gal pal, Sue, and Max's gal pal, Brooke, we stumbled across a fire truck and two firemen checking the hydrants.

In pure spontaneous fashion, we stripped the kids and let them play in the water. We might have followed them for a block and a half and watched the kids play in 5 different hydrants. We couldn't say no! They were squealing with delight and every time the hydrant would turn off, Max and Brooke would look at us and say in unison, "Again?"

Well of course! Off to the next hydrant we go!

Crib Jumper

It's about time I shared Max's latest and greatest achievement:

We have a JUMPER.

That's right, a CRIB JUMPER.

It was a lazy Saturday morning [at least Sam and I thought it was a lazy Saturday morning], when Max decided to have one of his infamous crib parties at 6:15 am. So in true good parenting style, I flipped the monitor off and wished him well!

At about 7:05 am, we hear LOUD singing and playing coming from the little man's room. The party was still cranking! I gave Sam a gentle nudge [thank goodness it was his morning to rouse with Max] and told him Max was ready to start the day. I turned over to catch up on some much needed sleep.

As Sam was in the bathroom, washing his face, brushing his teeth, he feels a little tap on his leg. He looks down, and WHOA, it's Max.

Pardon me?

Conversation that follows between me and Sam:

Sam: "Did you go get him out of bed?"

Jen: "No, did you go get him out of bed?"

Loooooooooong pause between the two of us.

What I love about this, is that Mister Max nonchalantly walked into our room, and then our bathroom, as if he does this EVERY morning. He was not phased one bit. However, we were. And frankly, quite petrified to put him back in his bed for nap and bedtime.

So, with much research [that was done quickly that Saturday morning], we decided we MUST purchase a video monitor. I think ebay had our order before noon. ;)

Since we had some lagtime due to shipping, we had to wing it for a few days. And didn't get much sleep for fear he would climb out again!

And lo and behold, he did try it again.

Fast foward just a few days, and I was putting him down for his afternoon nap. He was wired and not at all interested in napping. After several times of me walking in his room to tell him to quiet down, I hear this coming from the monitor [we were still working with the old monitor]:

"HelpMeHelpMeHelpMeHelpMeHelpMeHelpMeHelpMe"

Taking the stairs two at a time to figure out what was going on in his room, I discover him dangling over the side. Fully out of his crib, just hesitating to drop to the floor. OH MY! I rocked my baby boy to sleep that day to ENSURE he wouldn't climb out. ;)

Life has been a bit less stressful since we received our video monitor. However, I am not sure this is a long-term solution.

Max may be graduating to a toddler bed very soon!

We will keep you posted!

Max and His New Obstacle Course

Doesn't every child need an obstacle course in their family room?

Max certainly thinks so. Check him out!

.

Bonk!

Max decided to use his creative juices today to make up a new game. After I stopped laughing at/with him, I had the sense to grab my camera and catch some of it on film. I think this one definitely belongs in the "Boys will be Boys" category. But, you be the judge.

ALL Boy!

So I have had the distinct pleasure of plant-sitting for my dear friend, Joy. She is off on a cross country adventure right now, so she asked if she could leave her treasured plants at my house. Thanks to the Aqua Globe [and not my green thumb] they are still alive. Whew!

Max has somehow not discovered the two big, beautiful, lush plants...

UNTIL TODAY.

See photo below. 'Nuff said.

Laundry with Max

Laundry is just one of those tasks that is never-ending. You just can't check it off the list and be done with it. It seems there is always a load I could be washing, drying, folding or putting away. For instance, right now, I have clean clothes folded in my room ready to be put on hangers and in drawers. I have two loads of clean clothes folded and sitting on top of the dryer. And, I am sure, if I went and checked our laundry baskets I would have enough to start yet another load. Whew, I am tired just thinking about all this laundry. And we are only a family of 3 right now! [Geesh, wouldn't it be nice if a laundry fairy visited our houses? Poof...and you have clean clothes.]

Well, with Max, laundry is all about timing and multi-tasking. I switch and fold laundry while he is napping, or in his exersaucer, or playing on the floor. And on that rare day [ok, not so rare lately] he wants me to carry him around everywhere, he comes to the laundry room with me.  

It used to be a breeze. I could lay him down and he wouldn't [or should I say couldn't] move. He was forced to watch me put laundry in the washer/dryer and fold. Just like so:

Then, he figured out how to roll so I had to stop laying him on top of the dryer [for fear he would roll right off] and the floor didn't seem like a good idea either [for fear he would slam his head on the ceramic tile]. So, the Bumbo seat seemed liked the perfect solution. That is until he figured out how to get out of the Bumbo.  

[in this particular photo he launched himself out of the Bumbo seat about 30 seconds after I snapped this picture]

Ok, Mister Max. What next? 

Today I spent hours doing laundry [ok, it felt like hours] so I needed to come up with a new idea of how to entertain Max in the laundry room. 

In the past week he has mastered sitting up by himself. But, on occasion, still has a sideways [kind of in slow-motion] tumble. So I don't think he is ready to sit on the ceramic tile yet.

So, I came up with a brilliant plan. Sit him in the big laundry basket. He seemed happy with the idea, so I started working away. I was facing the dryer, folding clothes. Max was behind me playing in the basket. Then, I heard him moving and grunting. I turned around to see what the commotion was about. 

He PULLED HIMSELF TO A STANDING POSITION [more than once I might add!!] in the laundry basket. This is no joke. Is this supposed to happen at only 7 months? He used his strong lil' biceps and wedged his feet into the corner of the basket and was literally standing up [and the basket was teetering forward!!].  Oh my. I couldn't steady the laundry basket and take a photo at the same time, so I got his expression soon after he plopped back down on his bottom. He looks pretty pleased with himself doesn't he?

So, the next phase is crawling [which I reckon will be soon]. Then, I can at least shut the laundry door and let him crawl around on the floor. I won't have to worry about any tumbles or falls.  

Am I really saying out loud that I want him to start crawling? Oh my. I think I am. Then, I am really going be on the go, chasing the man around, making sure all areas are baby-proofed...

Oh. My.